


Eye of the Tiger

by aggiepuff, Whedonista93



Series: Mischief in the Blood [7]
Category: Descendants (Disney Movies), Mulan (1998)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Idiots in Love, Magic, Original Character(s), Shapeshifting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:28:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23656120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aggiepuff/pseuds/aggiepuff, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whedonista93/pseuds/Whedonista93
Summary: When Lonnie returns home to help defend China from a Hun attack, she doesn't go alone.
Relationships: Li Lonnie/Original Male Character(s)
Series: Mischief in the Blood [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/976776
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	1. Chapter 1

Kumar glances across the table at Lonnie and ducks to hide a grin.

He feels as if he’s done nothing but follow her from the moment he stepped foot in Auradon. And, to be honest, he wouldn’t have it any other way. She’s been a ray of sunshine in what has been a dark world up until now. She doesn’t seem to mind - she seems encouraging, really. Loops her arm through his as they trail from class to class or to meals. He sketches from the sidelines during tourney and R.O.A.R. practice. She bangs on his door until he tumbles out of bed on days he oversleeps and faces him head on, without fear when he shifts unexpectedly… and takes him shopping to replace the clothes he loses when that happens, ignoring or casually disregarding his protests that he’ll never be able to pay her back.

Kumar looks up again and catches a flash of red out of the corner of his eye. “What’s that?” He nods toward the banner coming over the hill.

Lonnie glances up, then does a double take and takes off sprinting up the hill. Kumar follows at her heels. Mere moments after they crest the hill, a young boy breaks free of the Imperial Guard and darts straight for Lonnie. She drops to her knees and catches him tightly in her arms before looking up at the nearest guard and demanding to know what’s going on. 

The guard stands at attention. “The Huns have rallied, princess. They’re attacking. Your parents requested asylum in Auradon for the young prince.”

Lonnie pales for all of two seconds before her cheeks go red with anger and she shoots to her feet with her brother in her arms. She’s trembling, and Kumar immediately steps forward and rests his hands on her shoulders. She leans back against him and the trembling lessens. Her brother looks up at him curiously. He smiles down at the boy.

“Shane, this is my friend Kumar. Kumar, my baby brother Shane,” Lonnie introduces. 

“I’m not a baby!” Shane protests.

Kumar chuckles.

Lonnie’s lips quirk. “Shane, why don’t we go ask if you can sleepover with Ben and Aziz?”

Shane cheers and scrambles down to run ahead of her.

Lonnie whirls back on the guards. “You stay put until I get him settled. This conversation is _not_ over.”

The same guard speaks. “Apologies, princess, but your father’s orders were for us to return immediately. Where should the prince’s bags be placed?”

Kumar gestures. “Hand ‘em over. I’ll take care of it.”

By the time they catch up with Shane, he’s happily bouncing on Aziz’s bed.

“Catch him,” Lonnie points to her brother. 

Kumar reaches out and catches the kid by the waist and holds him eye level with Lonnie.

Lonnie grins. “Okay, kiddo. Let’s talk.”

Shane crosses his arms, apparently uncaring that he’s dangling well above the ground, and smirks at his sister. “What’s in it for me?”

Lonnie simply quirks an eyebrow.

Shane sighs. “ _Fine_. Dad said Shan-Yu escaped the Isle. Brought some other villian with him, but no one knows who.”

Lonnie and Kumar both go absolutely still. 

Lonnie clears her throat. “You don’t think…”

“Yeah, I do,” Kumar’s voice shakes.

Lonnie curses and Shane blushes. “I’m gonna tell mommy you said bad words.”

Lonnie shakes her head. “Jordan, please tell me you’re in your lamp!”

The genie smokes out in a cloud of blue. “You called?”

Lonnie smiles tightly. “Think you could babysit for a while? I need to go call my parents.”

Kumar lifts Shane a little higher.

Jordan squeals and snatches the boy out of Kumar’s hand and props him on her hip. “Of course! How’s my favorite boyfriend?”

Kumar grins. “Think Atlas will take offense to that.”

Shane crosses his arms and pouts. “I was here first.”

Lonnie laughs and offers a relieved smile before grabbing Kumar’s hand and dragging him out of the room.

Jordan looks down at Shane. “They aren’t gonna go make a phone call, are they?”

Shane shakes his head. “No. Momma and Daddy would tell them not to come.”

“I’ll give them a day before I tell everyone. Wanna meet a bunch of villain kids?”

Shane whoops and wriggles out of her arms to take off out the door.

“We’re not calling are we?” Kumar asks as Lonnie drags him down the hall.

Lonnie scoffs. “No. They’ll just tell me not to com- wait, we?”

Kumar tugs her to a stop and puts his hands on her shoulders. “You didn’t really think I was gonna let you go alone, did you?”

Lonnie shrugs. “It’s not your fight.”

Kumar rolls his eyes. “It is. If we’re right about who’s with Shan-Yu, it _really_ is. And if we’re wrong, I’m not about to let the girl I’m in love with go face off against an army without me. Your fight is my fight, Lon.”

“Lo-”

Kumar’s eyes go comically wide as he realizes what he said. “Wow, uh, really not the time for that, right? We should go.”

Lonnie nods slowly. “Let’s go find Lil Shang. He’ll kill me if we go without him.”


	2. Chapter 2

“We can try the Northwest pass, here,” Shang points at the map, “it would bottleneck them.” 

A new voice drifts from the doorway. “Actually, it would make you sitting ducks.” 

All hands go to swords until they spot Lonnie.

Shang throws his hands in the air. “Sending your brother to Auradon was _not_ an invitation for you to come home. We wanted you kids safe!”

Lonnie rolls her eyes. “I _am_ my mother’s daughter.”

Mulan shrugs. “I _did_ tell you she would come. You should just be grateful she chose to tell us she was here instead of heading straight for the front lines.”

Lonnie beams, then point to the map. “He’s right, though. That pass is a terrible idea.”

Shang eyes the giant hovering at his daughter’s shoulder. “And who, exactly, is he?”

Kumar offers a slight bow. “Kumar, Your Majesty.”

“Call him Shang,” Mulan butts in, “and I’m Mulan. What do you know about the pass?”

Kumar moves to the map. “There are caves and tunnel networks all throughout these peaks. Shan-Yu spent years camouflaging the entrances and expanding the natural tunnel systems. This pass is a death trap.”

“And how do you know so much about this?” Shang asks suspiciously.

Lonnie punches her father’s arm. “ _Daaad_. Be nice! He’s here to help!”

“What?” Shang protests, flinching and rubbing his arm. “It’s a fair question!”

Kumar rests a hand on Lonnie’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Lon. It is fair.”

Lonnie leans back against him with a challenging glint in her eye and continues to glare at her father. Mulan tries to hide a smirk behind a fan that is at odds with her armor.

Kumar wraps an arm around Lonnie’s shoulders, using her presence to brace himself, and takes a deep breath. “Shan-Yu was not like the other villains on the Isle. He had no delusions of ever escaping. As evidenced by his presence here, that’s not to say he wouldn’t take the opportunity if it was presented, but he didn’t scheme escapes. He did, however, believe that the next generations had a chance of escaping the Barrier. He never had children of his own, but he taught all that would listen. He told us where to find secret passages all over China and Mongolia. He taught us battle strategies and swordsmanship. The villains on the Isle don’t have friends, but they do have allies. Shan-Yu and my father were such allies, so I learned more than the others. Every strategy he has ever used and those he never got the chance to use, I know,” Kumar hesitates before adding, “and it’s likely that my father is the other villain that escaped with him.”

“Who is your father?” Mulan asks gently.

“Shere Khan.” Kumar answers steadily.

Lonnie reaches up to squeeze one of his hands reassuringly.

Shang frowns. “Wh-”

Lonnie steps forward and cuts him off. “If you ask why we should trust him, I _will_ walk out those doors and straight to the front lines.”

Shang’s mouth hangs open.

Lonnie steps forward and turns slightly toward the doors. “Well?”

Kumar tugs her back against him and wraps both arms around her shoulders. “Yeah, no. You’re not gonna do that.”

She stomps on his foot and he just ducks his head down to hide his grin in her hair.

Shang finally cracks a smile. “Okay, I trust him. Any ideas on what to do?”

Lonnie and Kumar both grin and Lonnie shrugs lightly. “We cheat.”


	3. Chapter 3

“Jordan!” Lonnie leaps up. “Where’s-”

Jordan waves her off. “Relax. Dropped him off at Red’s on the way here.”

Lonnie immediately relaxes. “Thank you. Who all came?”

Jordan laughs. “Almost everyone. Me, obviously. Atlas because I came and Artemis and Selene because he came. Zaida and Jay, Mal, Evie, and Carlos. Joy and Harry, and because they came, Gil and Uma.”

Kumar’s grin is as lazy as Lonnie’s is savage.

Jordan quirks an eyebrow as the rest of their motley crew files into the room. “What, exactly, do you have in mind?”

Mulan grins wryly. “Not that I’m complaining, but why is my throne room suddenly full of villain’s kids and rebels?”

Lonnie smiles sunnily. “I told you yesterday, mom, we’re cheating.”

“Whatever it is you have planned, kiddo, you really can’t expect us to let a bunch of teenagers fight our war!” Shang protests.

“Sure I can,” Lonnie shrugs, “‘cause they can do something you can’t.”

Joy glances around and catches on almost immediately. “You wanna use magic.”

“Bingo.”

Mulan leans back in her throne. “Huh… that could work.”

Evie bites her lip and shuffles nervously. “Are you sure we should be using magic on that kind of scale? I mean… it’s kind of against the rules, isn’t it?”

Mulan shrugs. “In Auradon, maybe. But you’re in China. We encourage everyone to embrace themselves as they are. Besides, better to ask forgiveness than permission.”

Zaida smirks. “FG hates Mulan  _ almost _ as much as she hates my dad and Aunt Jaz.”

“Agrabah, Neverland, and China are the most magic friendly nations,” Joy explains at Evie’s confused expressions.

Evie relaxes slightly. “Okay.”

“What do you need us to do, Lonnie?” Mal asks.

“The Huns are attacking here,” Lonnie draws her finger across the frontline of the ongoing battle, “but Kumar thinks they’re hiding out and prepping for a second attack from here,” she points to the pass, “and this pass is too dangerous to send regular troops in. Atlas, Selene, Artemis… you guys could really throw the Huns off it you’re willing to go to the front lines. They’re not used to Shifters.”

“Would likely bolster our troops' spirits too,” Mulan adds.

“Harry and I will go with them,” Uma offers, “we’re both still mastering our magic, but we’ve gotten really good with shields. And where we go, Gil goes.”

Joy’s eyes flit over the map and her wings droop a bit. “They’re gonna need me in the pass,” she turns hard eyes on Uma, “keep them safe.”

Uma meets her eyes and nods. “I always do.”

Lonnie nods. “Joy’s right. Jordan, Zaida, Jay, Mal, you guys will take the pass. We have to ferret the Huns out of the tunnels and caves. You can use magic both to pull them out and to bind them. We reopened a prison camp just East of the city last night. Guards are posted and it’s been completely fortified. It’s a temporary solution, but it’s secure.”

“What about us?” Carlos asks, standing next to Evie.

Kumar steps up. “You remember the magical inhibitor you used on Jay when his powers manifested?”

Carlos nods. “Yeah.”

“We need you to build something similar. Something to bind a shifter in only one skin.”

Evie’s brow furrows for half a second before she catches herself and smooths her expression. “But shifters aren’t magic. You tell us all the time it’s DNA.”

“But we  _ could _ use a combination of tech and magic to bind one form or the other,” Carlos says slowly.

Evie pales. “Why would you want that?”

“Because my father escaped the Isle with Shan-Yu,” Kumar answers calmly.

“I’ll need, uh, I’ll need something to figure out what elements to bind,” Carlos tells him.

Kumar pulls a vial of blood out of his pocket. “Thought you might.”

“Does it matter what form we trap him in? It will affect how we build the inhibitor.”

“Tiger,” Mulan interjects, “and if no one is opposed, I’ll keep him chained in the throne room. Jasmine says a tiger as a pet makes a hell of an impression. If my daughter gets one for a guardian, surely I can have one for decoration.”

Kumar laughs. “We’ll need to enchant the chains.”

“I can come up with something once we catch him,” Mal offers.

“Okay,” Lonnie takes a deep breath, “let’s go.”

“Wait!” Evie calls. “What are you and Kumar going to do?”

“Us? We’re bait.”


	4. Chapter 4

The general’s tent falls silent at the sight of the group approaching from the direction of the palace. The general steps out of the tent flap, sword drawn.

Atlas smirks. His giant self bringing up the rear of three pirates and two waifs in the middle of a battle camp… odd scene to say the least.

Uma, clearly thinking along the same lines, snorts. “Yeah, I’d pull my sword too.”

“Who are you and what do you want?” the general demands.

Uma pulls the scroll from her waistband and tosses it to the guard nearest the general. “A message from Mulan.”

The general takes the missive before turning a skeptical eye on the group. “You’re children. And the empress expects me to let you fight the front lines?”

Selene and Artemis share twin grins before stepping forward and shifting forms. The general and his guards actually stumble back a few steps. The wolves both chuff in amusement.

Atlas rolls his eyes and scruffs them both. “Behave, girls. They’re our friends.”

They both growl at him, but obediently rock back onto their haunches.

To their surprise, the general bows deeply. “It has been decades since I have had the honor of knowing a shifter. Though I wish you were not so young, I would consider it an honor to fight beside you.”

Both wolves woof happily.

The general straightens. “And the rest of you?”

“We can hold our own,” Uma assures.

“A good general knows the strength of his troops,” he counters.

Uma glares.

Atlas rolls his eyes. “Don’t mind her. Growing up with a villain for a parent tends to put a chip on your shoulder. My sisters and I are shifters. Gil here is strong as an ox and damn good with a sword. Uma and Harry have their own kinds of magic. And Harry can fly, in case the giant sparkling wings weren’t a dead giveaway.”

“Wanker,” Harry mutters under his breath.

Atlas winks at him before turning his attention back to general. “This will be over soon, but you have to let us do what we came here to do.”

The general sighs, but relents, “I am quite certain you know something I don’t, but,” he waves the scroll in his hand, “my empress trusts you, therefore I will as well. This way.”

He leads them through the battlefield until they reach the thick of things.

Uma raises an eyebrow at the literal swords and spears. “Well, isn’t this archaic.”

Atlas shrugs. “I’ll go for their heels.”

Harry gapes at him for several seconds before bursting out laughing.

Uma rolls her eyes and pulls her sword with her right hand, even as she calls her magic up with her left. “Nobody die.”

Atlas shifts, and they charge.

* * *

Lonnie has a white knuckled grip on her sword with one hand and a _slightly_ less severe grip on Kumar’s neck with the other. She can feel an equal tension in the tiger as they enter the pass.

“This was a stupid idea,” she mutters.

Kumar butts his head against her knee.

She takes a deep breath. “Right. We’ll be alright. We’ve got this.”

Kumar nods.

Lonnie jumps when Shan Yu materializes from the shadows of a cliff ahead. Kumar moves in front of her.

Shan-Yu sneers at the tiger. “I always told your father you were too soft hearted.”

Kumar growls.

Another man, as tall as Kumar, but broader, with the same dark good looks, joins Shan-Yu in the light. Lonnie blushes and averts her gaze when she realizes he’s not wearing _anything_. 

Kumar’s growl deepens as he angles himself in front of her, and she reaches out to rest a hand on his haunch.

Shere Khan narrows his eyes at the action. “Interesting. It’s not too late to join us, son.”

Kumar roars, fur bristling as he steps more firmly in front of Lonnie.

“So be it,” Shere Khan snarls, even as he lunges, shifting in mid air.

Kumar meets him before he hits the ground.

Lonnie winces at the sound of the tigers fighting, but forces herself to shift her focus to Shan-Yu. He adjusts her grip and stance. “You are not welcome here, Shan-Yu.”

Shan Yu tilts his head curiously. “Who are you?”

Instead of answering, Lonnie sheaths her own sword and pulls the one strapped to her back - the one her mother took from the Hun so many years ago. She spins it dramatically and grins.

The villain’s eyes narrow. “That is mine.”

Lonnie shrugs. “I’m pretty sure my mother got it fair and square.”

“The soldier from the mountains… you are her progeny.”

Lonnie shifts into a fighting stance. “You’re not as dumb as you look.”

Shan-Yu growls. “I will enjoy killing you.”

“You can enjoy trying.”

* * *

They pair off at the mouth of the tunnels - Zaida and Jay take one side, Mal and Joy take the other. Jordan hangs back where she can catch any soldiers doubling back while keeping an eye on Kumar and Lonnie down in the pass.

Zaida grips Jay’s hand tightly.

Jay squeezes her. “Scared?”

Zaida scoffs. “You wish… are you?”

“Nope,” he grins easily. “I’m actually looking forward to getting to punch someone without the Blue Fairy frowning at me.”

Zaida snorts.

The tunnel they’re in suddenly widens to a wide cavern. The soldiers within freeze and stare.

Zaida casually lets cherry magic surround her free hand. “Jay, I think they’re surprised to see us.”

Jay raises his own free hand, swathed in matching red. “Ya know, Z, I think you’re right.”

They exchange a final grin before letting their magic loose.

“Joy,” Mal snaps. “Chill.”

Joy forcibly stops her wings quivering. “Sorry.”

“What’s your deal?”

“Nothing. I’m fine.”

“Uh huh. Now make me believe it.”

Joy remains stubbornly silent.

Mal huffs a breath out. “Gil?”

Joy startles. “Am I that transparent?”

Mal shrugs. “I’m pretty sure that,” Mal points at Joy’s face, “is the expression I had on my face the whole time Uma had Ben on the Isle.”

Joy winces. “I know he grew up on the Isle and he can take care of himself, and I know Uma and Harry will look after him, but I’m just as worried about them and- - did you just slap me?”

“You were spiraling. And there’s a cave or something up ahead.”

* * *

“ _Oooh_ Empress,” Chien-Po singsongs.

Mulan groans. “Really, guys?”

Ling rocks back on his heels. “We were just wondering, uh, well....”

Yao rolls his eyes. “Why are we in a field on our side of the mountains when there’s an actual battle on the other side?”

As if on queue, Hun soldiers pour from the mountain, tendrils of magic nipping at their heels.

Mulan points at the oncoming horde. “ _That’s_ why.”

Ling gapes. “Are you psychic now?”

Shang rolls his eyes. “No,” he points to the teenagers exiting the tunnels behind the oncoming soldiers, magic raging around all of them, “we’re cheating.”

Yao shrugs and hefts his sword. “We cheated last time we saved China too. Bring it on!”

* * *

Kumar lands on his back as one of his rear legs bends with a painful crack, followed by a searing pain across his ribs before he manages to roll over to cover his belly. He fully expects teeth or claws at the back of his neck before he can shove back to his feet, and is surprised to hear his father’s pained roar.

Lonnie lands a blow that sends Shan Yu stumbling back just enough for her to get a running start at the sheer cliff face at her back, boosting off a boulder at the base, launching off the cliff face and spinning mid air in a move her mother had taught her years ago. She holds the sword out in front of her, driving it through Shan Yu’s shoulder and letting the momentum drive them to the ground. She stands and kicks the Hun near his temple, none too gently, just like Uncle Yao showed her when she was eight.

A roar draws her attention and she spins toward the tigers just in time to see Shere Khan rearing back, trying to shake a red dragon off its tail as Kumar stumbles to his feet.

Lonnie cheers. “Go, Mushu!”

Kumar vaguely registers a red blur attached to his father’s tail and Lonnie yelling. The moment his father rears back, trying to dislodge the little dragon, Kumar goes for his throat.

* * *

Mulan was right - the Huns aren’t prepared for Shifters. Atlas goes for their ankles before they see him coming. Artemis and Selene call on every predatory instinct they have - cutting off small groups at a time. Uma does her best to keep shields around everyone, the shell around her neck a constant glow, even as she’s slashing at Hun soldiers with her sword, Gil nearly glued to her back as Harry drops soldiers into their reach from above.


	5. Chapter 5

Mal, Evie, Jay, Joy, Harry, Uma, Jordan, and Zaida all grasp various parts of the chain linked to the metal collar around Shere Khan’s neck and the massive cage around him.

“You’re sure this’ll work?” Kumar asks, wincing as he shuffles closer and the wound across his ribs pulls.

Evie narrows her eyes at him. “I still wish you would let me heal you first.”

Kumar shakes his head. “This is more important.”

“It’ll work,” Mal promises, “this spell integrates all of our magic into every part of his little prison. The enchantment won’t break unless _all_ of us have our hands on the chain again and intentionally break it. Someone could drop a bomb on the palace and this cage would still stand.”

Kumar nods and leans heavily against a pillar. “Good.”

“Are we _sure_ it’s best to leave him in tiger form?” Carlos asks.

Kumar snorts. “Yeah. At least as a tiger he looks as dangerous as he is. He can be a charming bastard. Not being able to talk is not gonna be a bad thing.”

“Everyone ready?” Nods all around. Mal takes a deep breath and her eyes glow green,

_“ Hear us fate, the hearts of eight,_

_To our cause, we bind these paws,_

_No longer to bite, out of any spite,_

_In this form, no matter the storm,_

_Until in himself he does find, the heart of one who is kind."_

“Kumar!” Lonnie exclaims as soon as the magic settles. “You’re bleeding!”

Evie whips around, hair flying, to glare at Kumar. “You didn’t tell her you were hurt?!”

“I told you,” Kumar protests weakly, slumping to the floor as his broken leg finally gives out on him, “locking my dad up was more important, so I might’ve let her think it was my dad’s blood.”

Evie rolls her eyes and mutters about self-sacrificing idiots as she bats his hands away and starts casting healing spells.

Lonnie drops to the ground behind him and squeezes herself between his body and the pillar he’s leaning against before she reaches up to settle his head against her shoulder, heedless of the blood from his ribs soaking her pants. “You’re an idiot.”

“As long as I’m your idiot, that’s okay,” Kumar mumbles.

Lonnie turns her head and kisses his temple. “Of course you’re my idiot.”


End file.
